St. Paul daily globe., 1887-07-24
Official Records Of the Old Town Coun-
Gil From so to "a, When st.
Paul Was Town.
Men of Old Who Governed the Nucleus
of a Great City---Early Street
improvements.
The Old Town Pump---A Model Liquor
Ordinance---Hogs at Large--Eagle
Street Grading.
VOTING a Christmas Dinner---A Default
ing Marshal---Fighting for Power
First City Election.

only yesterday to those old pioneers who
roughed it through a varied frontier eX-
istence and built their camp fires Oh the
town site of st. Paul, but from then
until now has been an age OF develop
ment, hardly fOreSeen then and but III
differently cOmprehended now. Did
those rough and ready surveyors who
laid out the town site of the present city
see in the near future the buStling hub
of commerce which before only two
score wears might elapSe would open up
the great Northwest as the result OF
their sagacity? Hardly. However. let's
go back to the fiftieS and recall some OF
the familiar names of the early settlers
who pitched their tents and put up their
log abOdes by the shores OF the MlsSls-
sippi.
In the minutes of the first meeting of
the town council of the ''tOWn of st.
Paul,' recorded by William Henry
Forbes. s'pro tem." and dated May 20,
1850. penned on the first page of the in
teresting old journal and its yellow
leaves, now on file with the clerk of
courts, is the information that DIR. I. r.
Potts, president, and MeSsrs. Hoyt,
Jackson, Larpenteur and Forbes, truS-
tees, were present, and:
The president, having previously taken the
oath of Office prescribed by law before Henry
A. Lambert. Judge of probate. then proceeded
to administer the oath of office TO Messrs
Hoyt. Jackson, Larpenteur and FORBES, VINO
took and received the same respectively, ana
thereupon the council was declared to be
duly organized for the transacuon OF puSl-
ness. ~
The recorder being absent on motion Will
lam Henry Forbes was elected recorder pro
tempore.
Mr.. jackson moved that the chair appoint
a committee of three to draft rules and regu-
Iations for the government OF the council,
which motion was carried; whereupon the
chair appointed Messrs. Rice (recorder)- Lar
penteur and Randall upon that committee.
On motion the council then adjourned, to
meet at the Office of Henry A. Lambert, Esq,
WILLIAM HENRY FORBES,
Recorder pro TEN.
May 81, accordingly, the council
met again, Edmund Rice, the first town
recorder. the late mayor and the present
congressman. was present. and the four
teen rules for the government of the
council were adopted. The familiar
autograph of honest Ed Rice is at
tached to the minutes of this meeting
which are in his handwriting. He re-
cords:
The council on motion of Mr.. Forbes then
proceeded to the election OF treasurer ana
marshall respectfully by ballot. which re-
suited as follows, to-Wlt:
For treasurer William H. Randall. Sr. had
votes, for treasurer, b. +. Hoyt, had vote,
for marshall, Charles r. Conway had votes.
WhereupOn William Ii. Randall, senior.
was declared duly elected TO the Office of
treasurer. and Charles r. Conway was de
clared to be duly elected to the office of mar
shall.
At the next meeting, June %, on
Mr.. Forbes motion a committee on
finance. consisting of MesSrS. Forbes
and Randall. was appointed to take pre-
IiminarV steps to assess a tax within the
limits of the corporation. Mr.. Rice
moved that committee of three be ap-
pointed Ito draft ordinances to be OBJ
served within the corporate limits" and
to report at the next meeting. MeSSrs.
Rice and Randall were put upon the
committee. 1t was also decided at this
meeting to have all future meetings Oc-
cur at p. III. every Monday.
ROUGH ON SINNERS.
July -, 1850, was the date of the first
ordinance, "Ordained by the president
and council of the town of St. Paul" 1t
imposed a fine of $50 for all noisy street
demonstrations, and under it the Saliva
ton army would have Jared rather un-
pleasantly. Any person singing, bel
lowing, bowling or screaming, obscene
language or conversation, - - -
- - Ut DedIlllS VI dDuSln
any animal----or or swearing. treat
ing. quarreling, scOlding, hallowing,
curSing, challenging, aSSaulting, Strill-
ing or fighting under any pretense
whatever. or shall discharge or fire off
any firearms or fireworks of any kind -
shall be deemed guilty of miSde-
meanor, or breach of this ordinance, and
upon conviction thereof shall forfeit
and pay to the town of st. Paul sum
of money not exceeding $50 nor less than
S."
This must have been rather tough on
Fourth of July celebrations, nOtwith-
standing it was otherwise very well di-
rected. The same ordinance made it
expensive to drive very fast. allow
swine to run at large for the pigs were
to be cOnfiScated), resist the marshal,
allow teams to stand united, keep a
slaughter house, cause nuisance. dis
turb body of worship, or play cards,
billiards or ten pins publicly on Sun
day, because such offenders had to pay
fines ranging all the way from s. to $50.
The second ordinance. adopted the
same day, established general license
of $50 for all ''theaterS, shows or cir
cuseS." On the same day Ed Rice ten
dered his resignation, and Henry +.
MastersOn was elected recorder to sue
ceed him. Marshal Conway was di-
rected to prepare tax list at the rate
of five mills on the dollar. The minutes
of this, the fourth meeting of the town
council, are in the cramped handwrit-
ing of Recorder Masterson. He recorded
all the following meetings until May
12, when he turned over the ink-Stand
to his successor, Judge Henry A. Lam
bert.
In July the council had the dis
of of hn
store of Mr.. Larpenteur." The con-
tract for printing the ordinances was
given to flames NJ. and Isaac n. Good
hue" publishers of papers in this
town. and who had offered to do
the Job ''fOr half the usual
rates." President Potts reported
that he had arranged with II. w. Tracy
''fOr room for the use of the council"
and the marshal was directed to procure
suitable pound" At the next meet
ing, Aug. II, the recorder was instructed
to copy the ordinance of the city of Ga
lena in relation to the collection of
taxes and adapt it to the needs of st.
Paul. Mr.. HOyt resigned his trustee
ship, and Judge Lambert was elected
to succeed him. a resolution was
adopted that all future meetings would
be held at the ''tOwn council hail." and
the marshal was directed to procure
stationery. The ordinance for the col
lection of taxes was passed a week later,
and at that meeting also an ordinance
was passed regulating the use of
THE TOWN PUMP"
situated at the corner of Third and
jackson streets, and which subscribers
had assigned to the town. A resolution
was adopted
That the president be authorized to call
public meeting at the upper school house on
Saturday afternoon next (Aug. 24) at 3
for the purposes of taking into considera-
ton the propriety of procuring a suitable
piece of ground for public cemetery.
Charles SymOnds proposed at the next
meeting to nut LID two Duhlic scales for